


Still Alive

by oldestcharm



Category: Bartimaeus - Jonathan Stroud
Genre: Alive Nathaniel, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 08:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20255332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldestcharm/pseuds/oldestcharm
Summary: Turns out grand gestures of heroics come at a considerable cost to one's own priorities.





	Still Alive

Turns out grand gestures of heroics come at a considerable cost to one’s own priorities. With his unbridled ambition, Nathaniel’s lucky to have made it to the age of seventeen. He supposes it’s not a bad time to reconsider his future. After all, he is stuck in a sterile room for an indefinite period of time.

He’s already sick of it. He is sick of the light green walls, the linoleum flooring and mass produced furniture. He is sick of the same dull view that is an ageing patient in the bed opposite him. He is sick of the whistling nurse with bright pink hair who keeps staring at him as if he’s some kind of a hero.

Nathaniel doesn’t feel like a hero. He doesn’t feel much of anything with the amount of painkillers he’s on. He might just be drifting.

“Had an accident with the stairs,” his chatty neighbour Ms. Adley offers one morning, “they didn’t find me for two days, so here I am. Of course there was all this commotion going on outside, it doesn’t surprise me the least that they overlooked an old lady.”

Nathaniel nods. He doesn’t have much to say on the matter. Nothing he could say would make a difference anyway and he doesn’t want to apologise for other people’s mistakes -- he’s got plenty to own up to already.

“There was a girl to see you, you know,” She says and Nathaniel’s head snaps out without his permission. Ms. Adley seems to read something into it by the smug expression on her face.

“You were out cold, of course.”

“What girl?” he asks, brows furrowing. He hasn’t had a single visitor for the entirety of his stay, though Ms. Piper sent a bouquet of flowers. It had the unfortunate effect of making him sneeze, so it had to be removed.

“Grey hair, sort of pasty. She left you a note.” Ms. Adley points at his bedside table with an expectant stare.

Nathaniel turns to look and sure enough, there’s a note he seems to have missed. He reaches out, his side tugging uncomfortably, and unfolds the note.

_Nathaniel,_

_I’m sorry I couldn’t stay until you woke up. I’ve been decidedly busy for the past few weeks, dealing with your lot. They are_ impossible_. I’m beginning to admire your perseverance. Seventeen years is a long time to put up with this nonsense._

_That said, I am extremely pissed at you. When you didn’t show for an hour, I contacted Bartimaeus. He had a lot to say on the matter and while most of it was enraged insults at your expense, I think I got the point in the end. So I’d like to know: what the hell were you thinking?! You promised me I’d see you both outside and instead you go on a suicide mission!_

_They scooped you up soon after, and I thought you were dead for sure. You can’t imagine how glad I was to hear you woke up. They wouldn’t let me in to see you, so I lied and told them I was your fiancé. I don’t think they believed me, but apparently no one else had been in. Sorry. I think they’re all scared of you now. Someone even suggested a statue in your honour. I hope you’re into that kind of thing._

_I’ll come by another day. Hopefully you’ll be awake and ready to explain yourself._

_Love,_

_Kitty_

“Well?” Ms. Adley asks and Nathaniel is horrified to realise there’s a smile on his face.

“Well what?” he asks, folding the note and setting it carefully on his bedside again.

“Aren’t you going to tell me who that was?” she asks with a sly smile on her face. “There’s not much to do around here and you’re not exactly talkative for a politician.”

“Oh, so you do know who I am,” Nathaniel says, face dropping.

“I read the papers, dear,” she says, looking almost sympathetic for a moment. “You’re dodging the question.”

Nathaniel sighs, glances at the folded note once more. “I suppose you could say she’s a national hero… and a good friend.”


End file.
